Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Dual POV, friends to lovers, magical

First of all, I know this is a book with magical elements, but so much of it was unbelievable. He just happened to have easily accessible photos going back to both of their births? The book was cute in some parts, but overall, it didn't do it for me.

I was a huge fan of Julie Abe's The Charmed List, so when I found out this book was set in the same world I was delighted.

This is a lowborn romance set in Tokyo and has all the charm and whimsy of The Chamed List. When Cam loses his memory Remi must find a way to restore his memories in six days are lose him forever.

I loved the characters and the slow burn romance.The magic and the mystery was also a fun retreat from the real world. I didn't;t see the twist coming and loved the resolution at the end.

Overall, this is a light, fun romance with heart. Perfect for when you want something that's fun and comforting,

This was another great book from Julie Abe! I would definitely recommend to fans of her previous novels!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Our Cursed Love is a cute YA romance. I really enjoyed the characters, and I enjoyed the magic woven in throughout the story. There were parts of the story where things seemed to jump around, and by the end, I still had some questions about the plot. Everything didn't seem to tie neatly together, especially what was going on with Taka and his family. I overall enjoyed this sweet love story and would recommend it for a light romance and fantasy read.

Cute quick read, exactly as advertised (50 first dates meets love and gelato). Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

I loved The Charmed List and this book was no different. I liked that it included the characters from the first book. This one went very deep though and it was surprising, but I did enjoy it. The magical world Abe has built is so beautiful. I also get so immersed in her stories and this one was no different. I definitely hope she keeps writing more books like this and The Charmed List.

unfortunately just could not get invested in this novel. It took me this long to get back to the review because of it. I was determined to finish and did not want to dnf but it took forever,

It took me a while to start and get into this, but I did enjoy it a bit.
I liked the magical, modern Japan setting. I felt like the magic blended well with reality.

Our Curse Love is an excellent look at what happens if we always worry about what the future holds instead of living in the here and now, as no one knows what the future holds. Remy has known Cam her entire life; they were born on the same day in the same hospital, only a few doors apart. She has loved him just as long. As they’ve gotten older, Remy has struggled with her feelings for Cam because she’s afraid to lose him as her best friend if he doesn’t feel the same towards her. Looking for guidance and hope, Remy gets a tea leaves reading done. When she doesn’t get the answer she’s hoping for, she turns to a magical apothecary for help. What happens next is the loss of what she’s always loved.

Like many romances, YA or adult, if Cam and Remy had told each other the truth about their feelings before their trip to Tokyo, none of this would have happened. But if characters were to be open and honest about their feelings, there wouldn’t be a book to write. Besides, how many times have you had strong feelings for someone special in your life, and you refused to tell them because you didn’t want to lose the relationship you had? Especially when you were in high school?

I also enjoyed seeing Japan during Christmas, as the book is set December 23-January 1. Our Curse Love is a holiday read because of when the story is set. But the holidays are not the focus of the story. Nor are they a significant player in the story.

I’m unsure if I would consider this a companion to The Charmed List, which introduces readers to the characters. You could read this as a standalone, as there is minimal overlap between the two stories. In The Charmed List, you are introduced to Remy and Cam, but the focus of that story is Ellie and Jack.

If you are looking for a quick, magical read about our choices and how they impact our lives, give Our Cursed Love a read.

Synopsis, cover, description, title? Sold.

I wanted this book to be so much more. It was cute. But that was about it. Cute.

I wanted more. I love books with hints of magic and I wanted to love this one.

It was a little cumbersome the amount of times they "tried" to confess to one another but didn't.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

I’m sorry to say that I didn’t enjoy this at all. There was not enough plot for me, and too much teenage melodrama. What plot there was felt confusing and messy. This was not a good fit for me.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love Our Cursed Love as I adored Julie Abe's debut novel. It was fun to see the cameos from those characters however; I didn't find the relationship between Remy and Cam. It felt like Cam preferred his magical license and didn't want to truly figure out his feelings for his best friend. While I wasn't the biggest fan of OCL, I will pick up another book by Abe.

Our Cursed Love was a beautifully crafted story by Julie Abe that was hard to stop once you got started. Japanese folklore is so beautiful, and following along with Remy and Cam as their friendship grows into so much more along the way. Following along with a magic love potion gone wrong made me laugh out loud several times. This was truly a beautiful story!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this beautiful read in exchange for an honest review. Easily a 5 star read!

Our Cursed Love
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Julie Abe

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Six days to remember.
Love or lose him forever.

Remy Kobata has always wished she was destined to be with her best friend, Cam Yasuda. All the way from being neighbors from birth to mixing up magical prank potions together to their “just friends” homecoming date during their senior year in high school, nothing’s a secret between Remy and Cam—except for how much she is in love with him.

Remy is trying to work up the courage to confess her feelings during their winter break trip to Japan, when she gets selected for a mystical tea leaves reading and it reveals that they’re not meant to be together. After they stumble upon a secret magical apothecary in the back alleys of Tokyo, Remy and Cam are offered an ancient soulmate elixir, created before all love potions were banned by the magical government. They each have their reasons for wanting to take it, but what could go wrong with finding your soulmate a little earlier?

Except, after they drink up, their senior year trip flips into the worst vacation Cam has forgotten who Remy is. If she can't help Cam remember her by midnight New Year’s Eve, they’ll both be cursed to forget each other. To unravel their past and rewrite the future, Remy and Cam must travel through Tokyo to rediscover Cam’s memories and make new ones—and maybe even fall in love all over again.

My Thoughts: This was a cute YA romance. Here lately, I have to be in a mood to read YA, and I still enjoy them but not as much as I used to. While I did enjoy the story, I think it would have been better served under the magical realism guide versus the fantasy guide it was written under; especially with Magical University and how magic exists. Even though this seems like a little thing, I think it would have made a big difference on how the plot was delivered. I personally don’t read a lot of fantasy, however I love magic and witches, so I had different expectations from this book and felt a little let down. But again, I do want to empathize that this was a good read, just not what I wanted out of it. Remy has secretly pined for Cam, but has settled as being his best friend for years. They are visiting Japan for winter break. They did a tea leave read that shows they are not “soul mates” and drank a magical potion in a magical apothecary store, a soulmate elixir (this is currently banned). A few minutes after consuming the elixir, Cam does not know Remy and their history is erased from his mind. If they do not get him to remember by New Year’s Eve, they will be “cursed” to forget each other. Will making new memories wake up Cam’s old memories, or even make Cam fall for Remy? This follows the tropes of friends to lovers, magic, best friends, soulmates, and a touch of miscommunication, or lack of communication.

This was told in a dual POV narration, which I tend to love. I did not realize that this was the second book in a series. The first book, A Charmed Life, was truly amazing. I loved the Candy Crush references, a game I used to spend hours on, I can definitely relate, even though I do not play anymore. Remy and Cam have an adorable relationship, even if a little misguided by secret pining and lack of honest feelings. Having said that, I absolutely rooted for them throughout the story. We have supporting characters and the backdrop of Japan happening and it felt like it took away from Remy and Cam’s love story. Remy has secretly pined for Cam for years but it has never felt like the right time to tell him. Then when he loses his memories, the focus shifts to either finding an antidote or helping him remember before NYE. The characters were developed but could have used some more depth, they had witty banter, chemistry, and were creative. The author’s writing style was closed door, YA-geared, funny, romantic, and swoony.

Overall, this was a cute magical story of two best friends finding their passion and more. It is classified as magical fantasy romance, and could have used a little more in the world building aspect of the story, but overall, an enjoyable read. This book is geared towards younger readers but all readers would enjoy this book. I would recommend this book to others.

I really enjoyed reading about Remy and Cam. I thought this was an interesting premise, the world imbued with magic, and that only some of the population is aware of this magic. Personally, I would love to dive into this world more. The book really focused on Remy and Cam, which makes sense, but I was fascinated with the talk of Old and New Families, magical universities including things like alchemy, and the connections that the main characters have with their families. Most of the book takes place in Japan as we follow Remy trying to chase her dreams of getting into her dream university, and this sets up the mythical space over winter break. There's more depth in Japan than back in the United States, and with the added stress of the time limit before break is over adds to the intrigue.

This novel’s concept absolutely broke my heart, but the actual execution unfortunately didn’t live up to that for me. I especially struggled with the writing.

Remy has been harboring a secret crush on her best friend Cam for ages. She is ready to spill her heart out to him on their dream vacation to Japan. But fate has other plans for them. A misfired love spell erases Cam’s memories of Remy, and now she has to find a way to make him remember her before it’s too late. This was a heartwarming story of friendship blossoming into love. I felt the warmth and affection between Cam and Remy, and their shared jokes and memories made me smile. The magic twist in the story was intriguing, but also a bit out of place. I enjoyed the part where the love potion went wrong, but the rest of the magic seemed unnecessary and distracting from the main plot. This story made me feel a lot of emotions, and I shed some tears along the way. I was cheering for Remy all the way!

Our Cursed Love by Julie Abe
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Remy has been in love with her best friend Cam for a long time. She is determined to finally tell him on their trip to Japan. After a love spell gone wrong, Cam can no longer remember who Remy is, and now Remy has to race to restore his memories of her.
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This was a sweet friendship story that is leading to love. Very touching and lots of heart. I enjoyed all the little inside jokes and stories that Cam and Remy had together.

The magic element to the story was interesting but also felt like a different story altogether. I liked how it led to the love potion, but the rest of it felt like it was not as connected to the main story and not really needed.

There was some good emotional aspects to this story and I teared up a few times. I was really rooting for Remy!
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3⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was cute but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I was hoping to.

Our Cursed Love is an adorably sweet, young adult story which captures the essence of being a teenager in love and all that comes with it. In youth, the journey begins with self-esteem issues, peer and parent pressure, and the learning process of becoming who you want to be. The book especially encompasses first love and all those feelings of awkwardness which can drive any teenager crazy! But in Our Cursed Love, the transformation of the main characters is magical!

Remy Kobata and Cam Yasuda are high school seniors who have been best friends since their childhood. They sometimes know each other better than the other does. But both hold one secret from the other. Remy has deep feelings for Cam and Cam thinks he might be falling for real for Remy. But he is lost at what to do.

As they go on vacation to Japan to meet Remy’s sister and her boyfriend and also for Remy to interview at a prestigious college there, both knowing full well that Cam will be staying in the United States for college and Remy will hopefully get in to this college, this may be the last time for quite a while they will be together. So, they want to make the next six days heading up to New Year’s Eve the best of their lives. But there is an awkwardness between them as they both want to say something to each other, but it just never happens.

As with young adults, they fear their feelings will not be reciprocated. And Remy just needs to make sure Cam is her soulmate before she opens her heart to him. But unfortunately, when she goes to a mystical tea reader, he not only tells her she will never have a soulmate, but she will never fall in love. She is devastated.

But she hears there could be a potion which has been banned by the government that could help her in her search to see if Cam is the one. They take the potion. Unfortunately, it is disastrous! Cam begins to lose all his memories of Remy! And as of now there is no antidote. By New Year’s Eve if they can’t find one, Cam will never remember who Remy was to him.

As they are helped by magical scientist friends, they are in the race of a lifetime. Remy feels like perhaps she really does not have a soulmate, but can she let Cam go? Even if they find a remedy, will they even be together? As the clock ticks down to New Year’s Eve, the pressure is on them. They truly are cursed!

Our Cursed Love is a charming love story filled with humor, magic and real-life teenage dilemmas which will resonate with young readers.

Thank you #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #JulieAbe #OurCursedLove for the advanced copy.

Thank you to the author 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘈𝘣𝘦, publishers Wednesday Books, and also to NetGalley for a complimentary digital copy of ᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴜʀsᴇᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ. All views are mine.

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I love the premise in this book that everyone has a soul mate. Doesn't have to be romantic. Doesn't even need to be human, I think, could be a cat.

2. Descriptions of the feeling of love are breathtaking: Then, there’s a whirl of fresh air. It’s like they’re standing on the banks of the Katsura River in Kyoto, with the wind blowing off the flowing water. The faintly musty scent of the secondhand shops has disappeared; with the thick trees that surround them, she can’t even see the rest of Tokyo now. The pebbled concrete path weaves through groves of bamboo and lush green trees that seem to have forgotten that it’s the middle of winter. Loc.441.

3. Excellent food for thought for young readers all throughout: Cam bites his lip. He hadn’t thought of it before; he’d just figured Professor Watanabe was really private, like Haruki Murakami or something. He makes a wild guess. “Because your research intimidates everyone?” She looks at him with absolute disbelief, and lets out a laugh. “Well, that’s what I get for asking. In TMU, I get judged by how I look before I even open my mouth. It’s a double standard. If I didn’t use a hair shine elixir and countless makeup potions and creams, I’d be called busaiku—ugly, in English—and an abomination to the department. When I dress nice and spend the woman’s tax of getting ready an extra hour every morning, I apparently made it into TMU just because of how I look.” Loc. 823

4. I love reading about the potion making and the effects of the potions, it's like listening to a conversation between very talented bakers, chemists, or medical professionals!

5. When this book writes about candy, it commits! I love candy, so I really enjoyed these passages and frequent allusions. Remy laughs. “Share some with me. Ooh, look at these!” It’s rolls of washi tape, but instead of being meant for sticking on bullet journals, it’s edible strips of gummies that melt on your tongue—and then turn into the actual dessert. ...“Try this one,” Cam says, offering her a pale golden roll, with tiny cheesecake slices decorated all over it. She gives it a nibble. ...“Whoa. That tastes exactly like biting into one of those fluffy, jiggly Japanese cheesecakes...." Loc.2662

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The stuff in between the salient points is a little hard to follow. While it's true one of the characters can't remember anything and thus gets lost, understandably, from point to point in the other character's memory, that doesn't mean the reader should get equally lost. This is a fun, not a hard challenge!

Rating: 🍭🍭🍭.5 candy books
Recommend? Yes
Finished: Aug 19 '23
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley, SMPI
Read this book if you like:
🦄 fantasy-scifi
🪄 magical worlds
🍬 candy
💖 interesting theories on love